Does Montréal have too many big studios?

Trapdoor founder Ken Schachter has stated that the dominance of large studios in the Montréal game development hub needs to end, and may be stifling innovation.

"There are too many large studios. More people need to do what Trapdoor did. There are too many people employed in large studios here," said Schachter of Montréal in a lively panel debate at the closing Keynote of MIGS 2010.

"We have such a great talent pool here in Montréal but in big companies people can just climb to senior positions and ping-pong between the big studios. Montréal needs more young independent studios striking out and going out on their own."

Schachter went on to criticise unnamed corporate environments for stifling innovation.

"I know that certain large studios in this town will stop its employees working on their own projects at night. That’s something we’d encourage our employees to do," he said.

"It’s something that Google does, and it encourages important innovations. One of them became Gmail."